COP16 to combat desertification, land degradation and drought will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December. The new Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, will take part in the debate on Monday 2 December.
The EU advocates a “proactive approach to drought management” and lists improving water resistance as one of the measures to combat drought and land degradation. According to the EU, these measures would “guarantee the EU’s strategic autonomy, competitiveness and security”.
The EU will also take part in the ‘One Water’ summit, to be held alongside the conference on Tuesday 3 December, which will focus on global cooperation on water resilience, paving the way for the next United Nations Water Conference in 2026. According to the EU, this commitment is part of its water resilience strategy announced in the political guidelines of the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)